Refining search results

• US 9,418,104 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kim, Hyung-Jin, Grushetskyy, Oleksandr, Lopatenko, Andrei
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Yicun
• Application Number:
  US13/620,528
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 707/723, 707/727, 707/751, 707/748, 707/721
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for processing query information includes receiving data representative of a search query from a user search session. The method also includes identifying a plurality of search results based upon the search query. Each search result is associated with a plurality of user characteristics and data that represents requestor behavior relative to previously submitted queries associated with the respective search result. The method also includes ordering the plurality of user characteristics based upon the data that represents requestor behavior relative to previously submitted queries and the respective search result. The method also includes adjusting the ordered plurality of user characteristics based upon at least one predefined compatibility associated with the user characteristics. The method also includes ranking the search results based upon the adjusted plurality of user characteristics.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of search results responsive to a search query submitted by a user, wherein each search result refers to a respective document that is associated with a respective plurality of click measures, each click measure relating to a different country and representing, at least, a measure of behavior of users associated with the respective country in regards to the document when the document was referred to in a search result previously provided in response to the search query, wherein a plurality of the users are located in one or more countries that are different than the country of the user;

determining that a language of a particular country is incompatible with a language of the country of the user;

for each of a first plurality of the search results, reducing one or more click measures of the plurality of click measures associated with the document referred to by the search result, wherein each of the one or more reduced click measures relates to a respective country that is incompatible with the country of the user and each of the one or more reduced click measures is reduced in response to determining that the language of the particular country is incompatible with the language of the country of the user;

for each particular search result of the first plurality of the search results, calculating a respective scoring factor based on (i) the one or more reduced click measures that relate to a respective country that is incompatible with the country of the user and are associated with the document referred to by the particular search result and (ii) one or more non-reduced click measures, from the plurality of click measures associated with the document referred to by the search result, that relate to a respective country that is not incompatible with the country of the user; and

ranking the search results based upon, at least, the calculated scoring factors.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein calculating the scoring factor further comprises weighting a combination of click measures that includes the one or more reduced click measures for the document by a weight that represents the user'"'"'s ability to understand the document.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein calculating the scoring factor further comprises weighting a combination of click measures that includes the one or more reduced click measures for the document by a weight that represents a measure of the user'"'"'s ability to understand the document based on the country of the user and a country of the document.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein calculating the scoring factor comprises summing the one or more reduced respective click measures for the document and the one or more non-reduced click measures for the document.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein calculating the scoring factor further comprises calculating a ratio of (i) a sum of the one or more reduced click measures for the document and the one or more non-reduced click measures, and (ii) a sum of click counts for the query.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the respective click measure is a ratio of a number of instances that the document was selected for the respective country and a number of instances that document was selected for all of the respective countries.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein reducing the respective click measure comprises, for at least one of the plurality of click measures associated with a document, eliminating the respective click measure in response to determining that the language of the particular country is incompatible with the language of the country of the user;

and

wherein calculating the scoring factor comprises calculating the scoring factor without using the eliminated click measure.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the respective click measures for a document is a click fraction determined by dividing a number of instances that the document was selected for the respective country by a number of instances that document was selected for all of the respective countries;

wherein reducing one or more click measures comprises multiplying a weight with the click fraction for a country having a language determined to be incompatible with the language of the country of the user; and

wherein calculating the scoring factor further comprises summing the one or more reduced respective click fractions for the document and one or more non-reduced click fractions for the document.

9. A system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more non-transitory data storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

obtaining a plurality of search results responsive to a search query submitted by a user, wherein each search result refers to a respective document that is associated with a respective plurality of click measures, each click measure relating to a different country and representing, at least, a measure of behavior of users associated with the respective country in regards to the document when the document was referred to in a search result previously provided in response to the search query, wherein a plurality of the users are located in one or more countries that are different than the country of the user;

determining that a language of a particular country is incompatible with a language of the country of the user;

for each of a first plurality of the search results, reducing one or more click measures of the plurality of click measures associated with the document referred to by the search result, wherein each of the one or more reduced click measures relates to a respective country that is incompatible with the country of the user and each of the one or more reduced click measures is reduced in response to determining that the language of the particular country is incompatible with the language of the country of the user;

for each particular search result of the first plurality of the search results, calculating a respective scoring factor based on (i) the one or more reduced click measures that relate to a respective country that is incompatible with the country of the user and are associated with the document referred to by the particular search result and (ii) one or more non-reduced click measures, from the plurality of click measures associated with the document referred to by the search result, that relate to a respective country that is not incompatible with the country of the user; and

ranking the search results based upon, at least, the calculated scoring factors.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein calculating the scoring factor further comprises weighting a combination of click measures that includes the one or more reduced click measures for the document by a weight that represents the user'"'"'s ability to understand the document.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein calculating the scoring factor further comprises weighting a combination of click measures that includes the one or more reduced click measures for the document by a weight that represents a measure of the user'"'"'s ability to understand the document based on the country of the user and a country of the document.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein calculating the scoring factor comprises summing the one or more reduced respective click measures for the document and the one or more non-reduced click measures for the document.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein calculating the scoring factor further comprises calculating a ratio of (i) a sum of the one or more reduced click measures for the document and the one or more non-reduced click measures, and (ii) a sum of click counts for the query.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the respective click measure is a ratio of a number of instances that the document was selected for the respective country and a number of instances that document was selected for all of the respective countries.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein reducing the respective click measure comprises, for at least one of the plurality of click measures associated with a document, eliminating the respective click measure in response to determining that the language of the particular country is incompatible with the language of the country of the user;

and

wherein calculating the scoring factor comprises calculating the scoring factor without using the eliminated click measure.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein each of the respective click measures for a document is a click fraction determined by dividing a number of instances that the document was selected for the respective country by a number of instances that document was selected for all of the respective countries;

wherein reducing one or more click measures comprises multiplying a weight with the click fraction for a country having a language determined to be incompatible with the language of the country of the user; and

wherein calculating the scoring factor further comprises summing the one or more reduced respective click fractions for the document and one or more non-reduced click fractions for the document.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more computers, causes the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a plurality of search results responsive to a search query submitted by a user, wherein each search result refers to a respective document that is associated with a respective plurality of click measures, each click measure relating to a different country and representing, at least, a measure of behavior of users associated with the respective country in regards to the document when the document was referred to in a search result previously provided in response to the search query, wherein a plurality of the users are located in one or more countries that are different than the country of the user;

determining that a language of a particular country is incompatible with a language of the country of the user;

for each of a first plurality of the search results, reducing one or more click measures of the plurality of click measures associated with the document referred to by the search result, wherein each of the one or more reduced click measures relates to a respective country that is incompatible with the country of the user and each of the one or more reduced click measures is reduced in response to determining that the language of the particular country is incompatible with the language of the country of the user;

for each particular search result of the first plurality of the search results, calculating a respective scoring factor based on (i) the one or more reduced click measures that relate to a respective country that is incompatible with the country of the user and are associated with the document referred to by the particular search result and (ii) one or more non-reduced click measures, from the plurality of click measures associated with the document referred to by the search result, that relate to a respective country that is not incompatible with the country of the user; and

ranking the search results based upon, at least, the calculated scoring factors.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein calculating the scoring factor further comprises weighting a combination of click measures that includes the one or more reduced click measures for the document by a weight that represents the user'"'"'s ability to understand the document.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein calculating the scoring factor further comprises weighting a combination of click measures that includes the one or more reduced click measures for the document by a weight that represents a measure of the user'"'"'s ability to understand the document based on the country of the user and a country of the document.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein calculating the scoring factor comprises summing the one or more reduced respective click measures for the document and the one or more non-reduced click measures for the document.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein calculating the scoring factor further comprises calculating a ratio of (i) a sum of the one or more reduced click measures for the document and the one or more non-reduced click measures, and (ii) a sum of click counts for the query.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein the respective click measure is a ratio of a number of instances that the document was selected for the respective country and a number of instances that document was selected for all of the respective countries.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein reducing the respective click measure comprises, for at least one of the plurality of click measures associated with a document, eliminating the respective click measure in response to determining that the language of the particular country is incompatible with the language of the country of the user;

and

wherein calculating the scoring factor comprises calculating the scoring factor without using the eliminated click measure.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein each of the respective click measures for a document is a click fraction determined by dividing a number of instances that the document was selected for the respective country by a number of instances that document was selected for all of the respective countries;

wherein reducing one or more click measures comprises multiplying a weight with the click fraction for a country having a language determined to be incompatible with the language of the country of the user; and

wherein calculating the scoring factor further comprises summing the one or more reduced respective click fractions for the document and one or more non-reduced click fractions for the document.